


A Sorta Fairytale

by Measured



Category: Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Community: longfic_bingo, I Was Drunk When I Wrote This, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-30
Updated: 2011-07-30
Packaged: 2019-02-19 21:35:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13132695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Measured/pseuds/Measured
Summary: On the first party of the semester, Ike is kissed by an anti-social Science major. The rest, as you would say, is history.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> something I started randomly over last Nano. Well, technically it's a mix of 09's nano snippets as well. I had scrapped the whole college verse I had going, but kept two scenes I liked a lot in this one.
> 
> Happy birthday, Planet Janet~

Textsfromlastnight.  
(315): he saw my "I like bacon" magnet on the fridge and I told him how much I love meat, then we started making out  
(607): what a beautiful fairy tale

Ike had only left for an hour to get pizza, only to come back to find that a party had broken out at his place. Ranulf was involved in a very flexible game of Twister. Ike supposed he should be glad that it wasn't drunk naked Twister this time, like what had happened last time. Ike was just glad that he no longer tried to do "wingman" things. Ike had agreed at first when he thought it would be pilot lessons, but it was just more boring parties.

"Great. If anybody pukes, I'm making Ranulf clean it up," Ike said. It was lost in the crowd cheering as Ranulf made his Twister fall look like a breakdance. Cats always landed on their feet, after all.

It was Saturday night, so the game wasn't on, so technically he wasn't missing anything. Ike passed a few drunk guys who thought they were dancing, and made his way towards the fridge. He was pretty sure there was still some cheesy bacon bread in there, if Ranulf hadn't gotten to the last piece, that was. If Ranulf had, there would issues between them, because he'd called dibs and the guys around were always going on about the absoluteness of dibs and the Bro Code, which was supposed to be about dating, but it only really came into play when it came to the last piece of Shepherd's pie.

Ike barely paid attention to all that. Dating, dibs, wingmen. It was all gibberish. But bacon? That was important.

On the fridge was a note in Ranulf's handwriting: _Don't eat the bacon stuff if you want to live._

It was the best thing I'd had seen all night―other than the pizza, that was.

He saw another refugee from the drunken masses stalk in. A guy in glasses, a black long-sleeved shirt under a black t-shirt with _you read my t-shirt, that's enough social interaction for today_ printed on it, ripped jeans and sneakers. He was a bit on the small side, enough that Ike wasn't sure the guy could last the windy season without worries of losing his balance. He focused on the _I love bacon_ magnet on their slightly dirty fridge. (Ranulf preferred to call it 'rustic.' Ike knew it was just rusty.)

He held a large book with a knight on the front under one arm. The text was obscured, and though Ike could barely see the smudged corners of his silvery armor. He pushed his glasses up, and started to move closer, in the way Ike imagined a rabbit would move towards a fox.

"Relax, I don't dunk people in toilets," Ike said.

"I know," he said softly.

Ike remembered something someone on the second floor had said in passing: _I saw this guy with eyes so red, he had to have smoked the whole farm!_ Ike had assumed it meant he had a side-job in crop dusting, but knowing that floor, it probably meant something other than work.

"Yeah, that's my magnet. My sister got it for me," Ike said. He took a bite out of his delicious bacon bread, and savored every cheese-filled, crispy bite. Usually, dibs were absolute, especially the bacon kind, but the guy sort of looked like he might keel over from hunger in the next five minutes if he didn't have some protein, and he didn't want anyone fainting on his watch. Ike held a piece out, and the guy considered it. Ike thought the guy sort of looked like he might bite Ike's hand, or curl up in a corner and snarf it down while sort of looking like Gollum from The Lord of the Rings, but he did neither.

"Go on, sit down. The floor isn't lava, I promise," Ike said. He took another bite and the guy sighed. Was it the first meal he'd had all day?

Ike wasn't sure if he was like _those_ students, the hardcore ones who barely remembered to eat through all their law and medical stuff. Ike could barely imagine studying that hard.

"Haven't seen you around," Ike said. He never was good at small talk.

"We have different majors. The kinds that don't cross paths often."

"Like?"

"I'm a science major, and you seem to be majoring in football," the guy said. He frowned then, though Ike couldn't tell if it was a thinking frown, or his default state.

"Some of Ranulf's friends said they were going to major in beer pong and being awesome, so anything's possible," Ike said.

"I don't think those are official majors," the boy muttered.

The guy finally took a bite from his, and it was little bird bites. Kinda cute, actually.. Like some starving kitten who growled as it ate. Ike held out more, and he had this thought that if Ranulf ever saw this, he'd never live this down.

The guy took a sip of his beer, then another. He considered his beer, and then shotgunned the entire thing, until he started to cough. Ike reached out to pat him on the back. Ike almost expected him to crush the can against his head with the way he was going, but he just set it aside.

"This is good..." He said.

Ike nodded. They were up against the fridge, and some drunk guy was going _WOOOO_ in the other room. Ike never really _got_ parties. He'd been elected toga lord for some reason, but he'd thrown away his title and toga long ago. As far as Ike was concerned, beer was only good with pizza, and only on occasion. And that occasion was when he was alone, and nobody else making a mess of his apartment, and eating out the entire fridge.

Though tiny Science majors didn't apply.

"I didn't expect to see you here," Soren said. His gaze was intense and unwavering.

"It's my apartment; I live here," Ike said

"Not here―of course you'd be here–In this college. I'd heard the news, but I couldn't quite believe it was...you. But the minute I saw your face, I knew. ...I knew."

For a moment, the guy looked almost wistful. His wary, hard expression softened to something tender. Ike couldn't tell if it was the alcohol, the food, or if he really was finally starting to relax.

"Ike..." he said.

Before Ike could respond, the guy leaned up and kissed him. His hand stroked Ike's cheek and stayed there, resting against his skin. Ike could only blink as his mind caught up with what had happened. His body tingled in a way he hadn't expected.

Ike didn't have a good history of kisses. There were the kisses from an older shop girl who was a little too obsessed that were sloppy, messy and had a bitter and waxy aftertaste and resulted in him finding out how a restraining order worked; kisses from drunken party girls that got body glitter over him and left him feeling irritated and pushing them away; kisses from girls who thought they were dating or almost in love when he was just trying to avoid the next party, and who he'd thought of as nothing but friends. He'd never kissed a guy before, but the feeling was oddly pleasant. It left a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach, and unlike the girls, there was no unpleasant lipstick to wipe off or body glitter stuck to him and he wasn't gagging on the scent of some perfume that smelled like bug spray when it got too hot.

And unlike the girls, he didn't pull back, and try and figure out a way to push them away politely.

"Uh, thanks," Ike said.

He wanted to touch his, testing out this new feeling. For a moment the guy got this deer in the headlights look. It only lasted a second before he was pushing himself up off the floor, and muttering a _I-I have to go._ Before Ike could even protest that it was fine, really--more than fine--the guy was gone. Ike got up, and tried to find him through the crowd, but three drunk girls doing the hula wearing nothing but beads got in the way. He pushed his way through the crowd until he was in the hallway, but it was empty. He stood there for a while, looking from side to side, and feeling this strange tightness in his chest he'd never felt before.

*

Ike barely caught the alarm for his morning classes. He could never figure out what was going through those college dean's heads anyways. Who the hell made classes in the _morning_ anyways? If the teacher didn't want him sleeping in her class, she shouldn't have made the class at _seven AM_.

He stumbled out of bed and pulled on the clothes from last night. He was more than a little glad that no one had vomited on them during the night, because he hadn't exactly gotten to laundry duty recently. Or at all. Ranulf was passed out on the floor with a birthday hat on his head. Ike pulled a blanket to cover Ranulf up, and put a pillow under his head.

Then he grabbed his books and was out the door. Breakfast would have to wait until he napped through his morning classes. Ike figured he'd at least get credit for being there. That had to count for something.

*

Ike wandered in from his last class, lugging some books. He was a little more awake after he hit the local coffee joint, but that didn't mean any of his last classes made any damn sense. He dropped his bag near the door. Two of Ranulf's friends were holding up shirts from their latest haul while Ranulf watched.  
Considering the party last night, and that Ranulf more than likely slept through his morning classes, Ike couldn't help but be surprised at how livable the apartment looked. Maybe Kyza and Lyre had cleaned it up when he came back with the notes for the classes Ranulf missed. He couldn't see body glitter anywhere, and there was no trash and crushed beer cans across the floor. Fabric swatches were laid over the rough plaid couch; apparently Kyza had finally won a battle in his war against the rough plaid thrift shop couches.

Before Ike even had a chance to close the door all the way, Boyd came in behind him. He wore a jersey about two sizes too big for him with the names of his favorite team, the _Pegasus Knights_ , and carpenter's jeans. His green hair was slicked back in a way that Ranulf referred to as _nineties boy band nostalgia._ He always had a slightly more apologetic air now that he was dating Ike's sister. Once he'd wanted to take Ike's spot on the team, now he seemed grateful that Ike didn't keep to some shotgun toting family member stereotype. Mist could wield her own shotgun just fine, as far as Ike was concerned.

"Oh, hey, Ike. Took your sister out to somewhere classy yesterday. Then I took her home and only kissed her on the cheek," Boyd said.

His smile froze as he saw Ike's face.

"I mean, I didn't make any moves or anything. Totally respecting a friend's sister." Boyd cleared his throat.

"Don't worry, he just has a bitchy resting face, just like my sister," Lyre said.

Ranulf stretched, and laid back on the couch. His orange tank top said _Cats do it better_ , thought whatever _it_ was, wasn't specified. His cargo pants offered more hint to the clue, with _everything_ in big black letters down the side of his left leg.

"Lethe and I dated in high school; it isn't just her resting face," Ranulf said.

"Well, not _all_ of it. She smiles a lot more now that she's dating Jill," she said.

Ranulf languidly pushed himself up, and pointed towards Boyd's collar.

"Nice hickey," Ranulf said.

Boyd tugged his jersey up. "That's―a bug bite. Yeah, they were awful at practice. Mosquitoes, you know."

"Mist is an adult. As long as you don't mess up and run, or break her heart. I don't care what you do. You're acting like we haven't even known each other _all our lives,_ " Ike said.

"Even Ike figured you and Mist were going to date," Ranulf said. "I talked about putting on a betting pool, but he said we shouldn't even bother, everyone would just vote in the 'it's going to happen' side."

"Oh, yeah," Boyd said. He chuckled.

"He probably watched too many movies with the whole 'shotgun talk,'" Ranulf said.

Boyd slowly began to relax. He disappeared into the kitchen and pulled out a beer. After a few sips, his earlier apologetic nature had settled back into his usual cocky ways.

"Oh, hey! Did you hear the news? We are going to the beer pong Olympics," Boyd said.

"You should be with us," Ranulf said. "With you, Tibarn, and Skrimir, we'll have the gold before you know it."

"The Olympics covers that now?" Ike said.

"Unofficial Olympics. It even says in fine print 'no copyright infringement intended.' You missed the announcement the other day," Ranulf said. He made finger quotes around the word 'copyright.'

"I was occupied," Ike said.

"I know," Ranulf said. His multi-colored eyes lit up with eagerness. "I saw you go into the kitchen. Did you meet someone nice?"

Hooking up always sounded so bizarre, like someone was going fishing. Considering the closest thing Ike had to 'hooking up' ended up getting him stalked by an older shop girl, Ike would've preferred the fishing.

The word didn't begin to explain what they had happened, or how he had woken up and felt different, like something had fallen into place. Something that he hadn't even known he'd been missing all this time.

"Something like that," he said.

"Wait, what? I've got to hear this one," Ranulf said.

"Ten gald is going on this," Lyre said. She reached down for her purse, to pull out the necessary coins.

"Make it twenty," Kyza said. He'd set aside his new sensible, yet very expensive and stylish striped shirts and suits, for when he inevitably got hired by some big firm back in Gallia.

"You never bet, you say it's 'frivolous,'" Lyre said.

"We're in my territory now," Kyza said.

Betting on his love life, or complete lack of had become such a tradition at their college that Ike didn't even blink at this.

"I need to find someone," Ike said, cutting Ranulf off.

"Let me look through my little black book," Ranulf said. "You know, I never thought I'd see the day...."

Ranulf seemed to have everyone in there. He was personal friends with not just the crown Prince of Gallia―and the high lord of keg stands―Skrimir, but he also spent time with Prince Reyson, and Tibarn, the crowned king of flight, and keggers himself.

"Oh, that reminds me! There's this new place, it sounds like the food is really good. But somebody's going to have to wear poodle skirts. That's the rule: no poodle skirts, no service," Ranulf said.

"Hey, I'm going too. It'll have to be a triple date. And I'll be wearing the poodle skirts _and_ looking adorable in them, thank you very much," Lyre said.

"Then Ranulf and I will have to both be the greasers. We could wear matching leather jackets," Kyza said.

Lyre giggled. "Just think, a workaholic like _you_ in a leather jacket."

"I can pretend," Kyza said. He smoothed down his already perfectly smooth silver hair.

"I don't think he'd go. He's not really the type," Ike said.

Ranulf steepled his fingers. "Tell me more."

"There was this guy I saw last party. Some science major. Long hair that seems black at first, it's sort of greenish, though, like a bird's feathers. He's kind of anti-social. Likes bacon. That's who I was with last night."

"Soren Nevassa? Really? _Him_?" Ranulf said. "And I'm pretty sure he hates bacon, as well as everything else."

Ike frowned. "How can you hate bacon? Is that even possible?"

"I know! I hung out with this girl once, and she thought bacon was the epitome of evil. But that's another story."

"Yeah, tell me the horror story later. Where would I find him?" Ike asked.

"Now? Probably in the library, I swear he loves that library like you love meat. As much as Kyza loves productivity and sales at Men's Warehouse," Ranulf said. He then grinned, and snapped his fingers. "I totally get it now. You _love meat_ get it? That's why you don't date girls." He elbowed Ike in the ribs.

Ike just looked blankly at him.

"Geez, my humor is wasted on you," Ranulf said.

"I'll be rooting you on. And by 'rooting you on' I mean 'drinking beer," Kyza said. It was said in a perfectly prim way, without a hint of fratboy wildness.

Lyre rolled her eyes. "Everyone knows you'll just be studying. Your ironic party-boy thing is really annoying. You don't even do the 'wooos' right. You're like an old man stuck in the body of a college student."

"Now, now, Lyre, he personally ensured we passed last year," Ranulf said.

Kyza puffed his chest out at the praise. But he didn't linger in praise long. An alarm came on his phone. "Thirty minutes until the next class. Have you had your protein yet?"

"No, but I'm sure you're going to feed us some," Ranulf said.

"Of course," Kyza said. "I have this new recipe. Rare, just like you like it."

"I'm going to check the library," Ike said.

Ike opened the door partway and gave Ranulf a nod before he left.

"Save some for me," Ike said.

Then the door closed behind him. Ranulf began to make his way to the mini-fridge. The door opened back up.

"Forget something?" Ranulf asked.

"Dibs on the sandwich in the fridge," Ike said.

"Gotcha," Ranulf said.

Then Ike really was gone.

*

Soren was, in fact, in the library just as Ranulf predicted. Ike wondered if he should start asking Ranulf for lottery numbers, or maybe his knowledge only applied to cranky science majors.

He had on a black _your =/= you're_ shirt on pulled over another longer black shirt, which had been faded in the wash so many times that it looked gray. Beneath the large letters was a description of how each word was used. When he turned, Ike noted a pirate flag stitched onto his duffel bag, and a cloth _What Would Pirates Do?_ bracelet over his left wrist. He'd never seen such small wrists, and he'd met Reyson and Leanne, whose wrists were personally guarded by Tibarn, in case someone sneezed on them and broke every bone in their body. He looked even more fragile than them, and somehow it only made him more...interesting? Or to say, it only brought out a latent protective instinct and made him want to personally start guarding Soren's wrist. Also, the rest of him.

Soren noticed his gaze, and made a derisive sound, sort of like a hiss.

"No, it's not a new fashion statement, I just get cold easily," Soren said. "It's a family trait. So I layer."

"Oh no, that wasn't it at all," Ike said. He cleared his throat. Despite being half his size, Soren could glare with the same force as their resident lion king.

"Then state your business," Soren said.

"So, about last night--"

Soren turned from him, making his expression unreadable. "I was drunk. People do foolish things while drunk. That is all," Soren said.

"I only saw you drink one beer," Ike said.

Soren turned back to face him and glowered.

"Oh, right. Lightweight and stuff," Ike said.

"It seems no college student can avoid getting drunk and doing stupid things at one point or another," Soren said with a sigh.

"According to Ranulf, you're not a true college student until you do," Ike said. "But really, it's no big deal."

"Of course it isn't," Soren said. His expression turned stony. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go to class."

He pushed by him, and Ike had the feeling that wasn't the answer Soren had wanted, even though he'd only said it to comfort him, and assure him everything was okay between them...even if they'd only met once.

Suddenly, he was more confused than ever.

*

When Ike returned back to his dorm room, Ranulf threw him an ice cold beer. "Meat’s in the back. You'll love it. Kyza really outdid himself this time."

"I can cook, too," Lyre piped up.

"Of course you can. Those fish sticks you put in the oven were killer," Ranulf said.

He turned back to Ike. "Considering you aren't covered in hickies and looking triumphant, I'm going to guess it didn't go well," Ranulf said.

"You could say that," Ike said. He popped open the can and took a long chug. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve only to remember that he wasn't actually wearing sleeves. With a shrug he wiped his arm on his pants.

"It's weird," Ike said.

"So, you did kinky stuff?" Ranulf said. "I never would've guessed. It's always the ones you least expect have a furry mask and like to be called Big Daddy Kitty."

"I don't think 'talking in the library' counts as kinky," Ike said.

Ranulf laughed. "For _you_ that is kinky."

"Also, you're a cat," Ike said. "Just in case you forgot."

"All the more reason to laugh at anyone who puts on a fake tail and tries to hit on me by screaming 'nya' and trying to pounce on me, huh?"

Ike couldn't argue with that. He took another sip of his beer. His life had been busy. Not that he had really ever cared before. There was this pressing feeling, though, like he knew this person despite it all.

"I think he has to know me. Some of the things he said didn’t make sense. But, I'd remember someone like him. I guess I'll just have to find out by asking him..." Ike said.

"Whoa, you're really going Sherlock on this," Ranulf said. He gave Ike a thumbs up.

"Is that your new name for Watson?" Ike said.

"You be Holmes, I'll be Watson, and we'll solve the case of the missing beer," Ranulf said. He tipped back his can and took a long swig.

"I think Soren would probably be Holmes, and I'd be Watson. Also, you drank it," Ike said.

"Another case solved by hard work and shotgunning beer. And if you're Holmes, who would I be?" Ranulf said.

"The drunk guy in a rainbow beanie following them around and going 'woo!'" a voice behind them said.

Ranulf broke into a grin when he saw Skrimir come into the room.

"Big guy! You always have the last word―usually because you ripped the other guy's throat out. Yet another case of literature being improved with beer and rainbow beanies. Now all we need are zombies and we're set to have a publishing deal," Ranulf said.  
  
"C'mon, brofist," Ranulf said, lifting his fist. Skrimir's massive paw was twice the size of Ranulf's.

"Ike's going to run off with a guy, and I'm going to lose my wingman," Ranulf said.

"Never fear, Ranulf. We will slaughter all the competition, and conquer the bars!" Skrimir lifted up his head and let out a truly impressive roar.

"Free and wild," Ranulf said.

"You have a boyfriend and a girlfriend," Ike said.

"It's the principle of the matter," Ranulf said.

*

Ike stared at his book like it might dispense some great wisdom. He picked it up and shook it, but the book wasn't any clearer, and now the pages were all weird. Not for the first time, Ike was glad that he came in on a sports scholarship. He couldn't imagine the sorts of shifts the med students talked about when they wandered, zombie-like into the food court. Fourteen hours a day of studying sounded like some hellish landscape, where dystopian books beat down poor college students who just wanted a nap.

Ranulf sat down across from him, with a feline smirk. "Well, look what the cat dragged in," Ranulf said.

"Isn't that what other people say to you?" Ike said.

"You never use enough cat puns. I have to make up for it, and use double the amount. Plus, I've got the dirt. I have some genuine information from a cute science major that Soren is captain of the debate team, and regularly makes people run from the room crying. Apparently he's really hardcore," Ranulf said. He got up and went over to the mini-fridge and pulled out a beer and popped the top. Ike couldn't help but wonder how many Ranulf had today, and how he wasn't passed out in the gutter already. Ike filed it away as just another one of life's mysteries.

"So, when's the next debate team meeting?" Ike said.

Ranulf smiled. "Tonight. You and I are going to watch this new crush of yours tear the celibacy club to pieces. I hear his debates are like watching Skrimir cut through his enemies, but with words. Why don't we go and 'cheer him on,'" Ranulf said. He added finger quotes around 'cheer.'

"Celibacy club, huh?" Ike said. He wasn't even as sex crazed as the rest of the population, and he still couldn't see the point of advocating against other people's sex lives. This would be a whole other side of Soren. Ike craned his neck to check the clock in the kitchen. Just a few more hours, and then he'd know, and maybe figure out everything which had happened in the past few days.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy winter holidays, TheOnlyPrincess One of em, anyways.

"Could you give me any reason, outside of your mistranslated book of sayings of the goddess―which was taken from someone who was executed by the court, might I add," Soren said.

"But, it's dangerous, there's no way to prevent--"

Soren cut him off. "I see you apparently live in a hellish alternate reality where birth control does not exist," Soren said. "How you got into the portal of our world, I've no clue, but here, there's condoms at nearly every bathroom, and your argument is meaningless towards large parts of the population. Furthermore, what of those who cannot procreate?"

It started out poorly for the group already. They were citing divine plans and promise rings and misquoting a goddess who had turned everyone to stone. Certain members of the school had made many 'stoned' jokes about this over the years. Thankfully, the goddess was asleep, and not there to put them under divine retribution.

Soren looked offended on the behalf of science, and maybe sex, but probably science. They all wore sweater vests and looked vaguely like clones from some sci-fi movie, though Soren stood out with his deep red eyes filled with cold fury. It was like watching a predator slaughter prey in a nature documentary; Ike just couldn't look away from the carnage.

However, it wasn't like basketball or football where there was actual scores with cheerleaders doing handstands and stuff with each point. If it was, it would've been all the more embarrassing for the celibacy club.

Soren slammed his hands down on the debating table like he was a parody of the Japanese law system.

"Are you trying to make a mockery of this establishment, and of _science_? Because if you are, then you're succeeding."

He said it in this low, cold voice which made Ike get distracted from his other arguments and just focus on him. The fire and fury and steel of him. Soren was in fact, downright vicious when it came to debating. He had an air of condescension that implied that all those opposing him had about the I.Q. of mayonnaise. Though with this group it wasn't hard, mostly because Ranulf could've probably out debated them armed with nothing but 'your argument is invalid' cat macros.

"Soren totally intimidates them," Ranulf said, leaning over to whisper. "The beefy guys think he's going to be a pushover because he's so tiny, and the some of the girls and guys are jealous for obvious reasons."

"People know about that?" Ike said.

"Gossip travels fast," Ranulf said.

"Because you spread it," Ike said.

"Hey, I bet this will help get Aimee off your case. I saw her making out with that asshole gun guy your dad was tight with. You know, the one redhead who's always smashed? She's moving on fast."

Ranulf always managed to find the bright side of things. Ike turned his attention back to the debate, which was less discussion and more Soren beating them senseless with his words alone.

He was striking when he was angry. Pretty, even. Handsome? Beautiful? These were odd thoughts for Ike. Beautiful or handsome weren't terms he exactly used, let alone on a regular basis. It was usually 'pretty nice' that escaped his lips, as in _that's a pretty nice car_ or _that was a pretty nice meal._ He'd never had a moment where he looked at someone and thought them breathtaking. At least, not until now.

Ike caught Soren's gaze as he was leaving the stage. His face was unreadable. He was struck by how familiar it all seemed. But no, that wasn't right. It was just a strange, inexplicable feeling. Even as he tried to push away the sense of deja vu which shouldn't exist, it still remained deep within him.

*

One big change was that Ike no longer had a ton of girls asking him out at every opportunity. In that, Soren had done him a real favor. Now Ike could walk to practice without finding fifteen numbers had been shoved into his jacket somehow. The only one who hadn't gotten the message was Aimee. The drunken kisses Ranulf had spied weren't enough to keep the letters from coming, and it certainly didn't stop her from giving tell-all interviews to the _National Dish_ , which despite its name wasn't about delicious food, but ridiculous, made up things like _The secret princess of the Crimean royal family_ and _is Empress Sanaki's secret Heron sister going to dethrone her?_ and _Strange vulgar-mouthed child found, thought to be secret goddess._

The Uni library was pretty compact, all bookshelves and computers and a few tables for studying and stuff with really ugly green carpet. Ranulf and Kyza refused to even go in the place just because of the ugly carpet. In their more drunk moments, they talked about sneaking into the library at night and doing something about that 80s reject carpet.

He caught site of Soren, though he still hadn't quite figured out what he was going to say to him. _Hey, I remember that time you kissed me and it kind of made things weird, but not the bad sort of weird, well, maybe sort of the bad kind of weird--_ didn't exactly seem like a great icebreaker.

Ranulf had tried to do the wingman or wingbro thing, whatever it was called, but Ike couldn't remember most of the bro code. Except the part about knowing your target's interests and sticking there in hopes of an accidental meeting, which sort of sounded like _stalking_ to Ike, but apparently it was a thing. He pushed things like pick up lines and stupid games out of his mind.

Which is why he was in the library. Trying to act like he actually spent time in here. Doing library things. He tried to pick up a book and look like he belonged, but the words sort of blurred. Then when they didn't blur, he realized that he'd accidentally picked up _Everybody Poops_ and now looked like someone who really failed anatomy, or reading. He cleared his throat and put the book back on the shelf and decided to just pick up a newspaper or something.

Except that's when he noticed he hadn't been alone at all. Soren turned that fierce gaze on him, the same way he'd looked when he'd destroyed the celibacy club. It had disbanded out of shame right after the debate.

"You've been standing there a while...What do you want?" Soren said.

He hadn't seen him come in. And from the looks of it, Soren had been there awhile, hidden in some corner with a book.

Ike sucked at being subtle. He always stumbled in, crashing and breaking things when it came to friendships. People who were personally offended by this just had to deal, because he was not up with pleasantries.

"The truth is, I want to get to know you," he said.

Soren flicked his gaze to him. He looked wary, and dismissive all at once.

"To reiterate: _what do you want?_ "

"Uh, what?" Ike said.

"Everyone wants something. There's no such thing as true charity. The closest this human race can get to giving is to assuage their own selfish desires and pat themselves on the back for being virtuous," Soren said.

Generally Ike was the king of putting his foot in his mouth, but for once he had an inkling that it might be bad to say that he only understood about half of that. Maybe even less. But Ike didn't beat around the bush or play social games like Ranulf. So he did what he did best, and just laid it all out.

"Okay then. I want to get to know you better because I want to," Ike said.

"Ah...humiliation, then," Soren said.

"Not really into that sort of thing," Ike said.

Soren rolled his eyes. "You want to use and humiliate me, like every other person out there. To take my notes and then publicly tell me how weak I am," Soren said. His gaze was intense now, burning with anger.

"I don't know how you got that out of what I said, but it isn't remotely what I meant. For someone so smart, you sure are being dense."

Everything had been much better in the kitchen, but Soren had suddenly drawn back into himself. Lashing out at anyone who came close.

"You don't have to be afraid, Soren," Ike said.

The fury and fire collapsed in on itself. Soren drew back, and clutched his bag. "You always could see right through me," Soren said. His voice was so soft, Ike almost thought he imagined it.

When he looked at Soren there was just the faint fuzziness, like white noise static in his head, but it was gone before he could quite grasp what he was remembering.

"You're wasting your time; I'm no good with people. I have to get to class," he said. He picked up his books and brushed past Ike.

"Well, that went well," Ike said to no one in particular.

*

There was one thing Ike did know about Soren, that being the local lore of his notes. Soren took the most detailed notes anyone had ever seen. Soren's notes were prized like magic items through school, it was said that whoever possessed the fabled notes would pass the class for sure with the highest score possible.

The very fact that Soren refused under any circumstances to share only made the legends about those notes potency all the stronger. Some said that those who passed the quest to obtain Soren's notes might even find the meaning of life hidden in-between Advanced Calculus and Molecular Biology.

Ike wasn't taking Advanced Calculus or Molecular Biology. He'd in fact, heard that Soren had taken extra math classes for fun, a concept which Ike couldn't begin to understand.

Ranulf thought him bizarre, with his usual aversion for parties and beer pong. Apparently Soren usually spent his weekends reading. He probably even read big, boring textbooks for fun.

So it was a week after the meeting in the library that he saw Soren again. It wasn't so much that he was trying to see Soren, though if he came across him, he'd try and say hi or something. Mostly, he was trying not to fail the quarter, and staying in his dorm would inevitably end up with Ranulf and him playing video games, or Ranulf and him consuming lots of beer and then playing video games.

Ike had started to try and study in the library. The graphs and numbers and alleles didn't make much more sense, but at least it was more quiet than at home. Ranulf and Kyza and Lyre always flirted while studying, and listened to loud music. He turned a page, and couldn't help but think _this would probably be easy for Soren._

Ike heard papers slap down on the table in the library. He didn't even flinch. Soren wasn't looking at him as he put the papers down.

"Uh," Ike said, bringing one of the papers into view. Soren's handwriting was small and neat.

"I saw your GPA today," Soren said. "I feel personally offended on behalf of your teachers."

"I only got two Fs," Ike protested. "Well, that and a couple D-'s. But, I passed those."

"A couple D-'s?" Soren's lips curled in disgust. "A single one would make your GPA plummet. And the less said about the F's, the better."

"It's just stats and numbers. It's the same as when they tried to crown me toga lord. In a couple years nobody is going to care that I failed chemistry. It won't affect me as a person. Any company which would hold it against me, isn't worth joining."

Soren clutched his books tighter to his chest. "Then you're wise. Wiser than I."

"Was that an apology?" Ike said.

Soren's shoulders slumped. "You could say that."

"You could stay," Ike said.

Soren seemed to consider him.

"Not just because of the grades."

"I didn't mean to talk to you. I was just being foolish. You should forget that ever happened, and forget me." It almost sounded like Soren said _again_ in a whisper right after. Ike couldn't quite tell.

"But I'm not going to," Ike said.

"You wouldn't," Soren said. He bent under the weight of his books, and started to leave.

"You could stay," Ike said again.

Soren shook his head. Ike was left with only Soren's neat handwriting, and the vague sense he missed something.

*

"I cannot believe he gave you his notes," Ranulf said. He shook his head, and brought out a magnifying glass―the same one he used to verify when someone's ring was real or not.

"This is unbelievable. In fact, this is a Rosetta Stone which could get us the grades we never even dreamed of."

Kyza had brought in some green chip dip. Ranulf would just live off of nothing but junk food, but Kyza always brought something new he'd found the recipe of. Lyre, not to be outdone, would bring her own.

Half the time, their flat looked like a buffet with the way Ranulf's datefriends kept trying to outdo and out woo each other.

"It's still sinking in," Ike said.

"We could be millionaires selling it on the black market," Ranulf said.

"Not a chance," Ike said.

Ranulf sighed. "I knew you'd say that. Always the straight and narrow with you."

Kyza cleared his throat.

"Okay, the straight only applies to morals, but you've got way more of those than I do," Ranulf said.

"But still," Ike said between bites. Kyza really was a spectacular cook. "He gives me his notes and then he keeps avoiding me. I don't get it."

"What I don't get, Ike, is why you are focusing on one cranky sci major when there are tons of people just begging you to sleep with them. I mean, if gender is an issue, we could hit the gay bars. I know lots about gay guys; I make out with one all the time," Ranulf said.

"I just can't help but think I'm missing something here," Ike said, like Ranulf hadn't even gone on a tangent. This happened a lot, largely because what Ranulf said made no sense half the time, and that wasn't even counting the times he was drunk.

Ranulf rolled his eyes. "Since you can't get over this guy, I'll make it all better. Just come to the party. I'll make sure he's there."

Ike looked a bit surprised. "You're so powerful that you can even get Soren to a party again?"

"Like you have to ask? I have connections," Ranulf said. "You'll owe me one."

Not for the first time, Ike was glad that Ranulf was on his side.

*

"Mia, my man!" Ranulf and her did some sort of complicated handshake to fistpump. Soren stood behind her, looking as if he hated everyone and everything. Ike smiled at him, but Soren just looked away.

"I see you brought the famous Soren Nevassa with you," Ranulf said. He was grinning like the cat who ate the canary.

"Yeah, he was locked up and brooding over his textbooks as usual. I had to practically pry them out of his hands and threaten to use them as sword practice to get him out of there," Mia said. She threw her arm over his shoulder and Soren looked like he hated life a little more.

"I was wondering how you did it," Ranulf said. "But violence, that's a classic method."

"That's my mantra!" Mia said. "There's nothing that can't be solved with violence."

"I could've tied him up and thrown him over my shoulder, but I told him Ike would be there and he came willingly, but not without grumbles."

"Does he do _anything_ without grumbling?" Ranulf said.

"Homework, andddd...that's about it. He even looks at his food like it's evil or something."

"His food?" Ilyana looked incredulous, but only for a moment as she settled back into looking famished. "Food?" she said again more quietly this time.

"Truly, that is a mantra to live by," Ranulf said. "Though, don't forget the beer."

"Drunken violence! Even better!" Mia said.

"You ever met the king of drunken violence himself?" Ranulf said.

"Skrimir?" Mia's green eyes lit up. "You'd introduce me to Skrimir? His claws are sharp enough to destroy a library!"

Soren flinched, and started to move away from her.

"Of course, he's my friend," Ranulf said. He patted her on the shoulder. "I bet he'd show you his roar if you asked."

"Think he'd like to see my stance?" Mia said. She lifted up her arm, and started to lift up her hand, as if she was holding an invisible stance.

"He'd love it," Ranulf said.

She went in, and thrust her invisible sword just above Soren's head. He ducked away into the kitchen, with a grimace.

"I thought you wanted to be 'bros on the town,'" Ike said dryly.

"It's too perfect, Ike. I gotta make this match," Ranulf said.

"You'll be quite the Emma," Kyza said softly. He smiled at Ranulf, full of fondness.

"He should match up me and him," Lyre said. She leaned up to kiss Ranulf's cheek.

"Only if he includes me," Kyza said. He kissed Ranulf's other cheek.

Ranulf put his arms about both of them, though he had to reach up to reach Kyza's broader shoulders.

"The point of Emma was that matchmaking was _wrong_ , the next thing, you'll be saying you want a relationship like Romeo and Juliet," Soren muttered. He had an unopened can of beer in his hands that he held as far away from himself as possible.

"Soren, you don't have to do a dissertation of vintage Taylor Swift lyrics. Sometimes you just have to dance."

His t-shirt actually managed to have a color other than black. _My favorite workout is heavy reading_ was printed over a gray t-shirt.

"Kyza, your nerd crown is being taken away. You better work on that," Ranulf said.

Kyza gave him a salute. "I'll get even higher marks, just to make up for it."

After getting settled, Ike pulled out a proper keg and got them arranged in a circle. As usual, Ranulf had enough alcohol to make even Skrimir, kegger champ and kegstand king of the university, fall over. A blond in a tank top with _I <3 girls_ in rainbow print across the front stepped out from the back with a red cup in hand. Just in case anyone missed the message, she wore a long necklace with two female signs entwined, and had a rainbow tattoo on her bicep. The only other person he recognized was Makalov, who had come for the free beer but he'd apparently already gotten into someone else's cooler and was passed out on the couch.

Ranulf had started a trend of taking photos wherever Makalov had passed out, and had even passed his art final with a collage of Makalov asleep on benches, other people's couches, other people's bathrooms, other people's beds, and once, in the middle of the cafeteria.

Mia currently was trying to make the phrase "Makaloving" and "to Makalov" a trend. She'd actually had some success, as Ike had overheard someone in his class say _Damn, I sure Makaloved that test._

Soren was being as uncommunicative as possible. Ike supposed it was something that he'd come at all, but at this point, he was just looking like the poster child for teenage angst.

"So, you came," Ike said.

Soren didn't look away from the window. "Yes, Ike."

Ranulf gave a quick explanation of the game, and filled every single cup. Somehow, Ilyana's ended up not full of wine, but full of chicken drumsticks. She hardly complained, but her cup was empty long before the game started.

"Heather, I'll let you start with the honors," Ranulf said.

She considered the red cup put before her. "Never have I ever kissed a guy," she said. "Thank God."

"Ooh, good one," Ranulf said. He happily drank down his red cup. One by one, the group downed their drinks. Soren glared at them. Ike downed his without trouble.

"Are you sure that you shouldn't be taking a drink?" Ranulf said, with a wide grin. "I got prime info that says you locked lips with a _certain quarterback_ on the eve of the last party."

Soren made an irritated sound in the back of his throat.

"Seriously?" Mia said. "You didn't tell me!"

"For a reason," Soren muttered. He glowered down at his drink and downed it, entirely too fast. He began to cough, and Ike patted him on the back.

"Easy, there," Ike said.

Soren made another strangled noise and broke out coughing again.. He muttered something, and looked up sharply to Ranulf's stupid grin.

Ranulf cupped his hand at his ear. "What'd you say? I didn't quite hear you."

"He says he hates this, and it's a waste of time. I think he said something about someone being a waste of space, too," Ike said.

Soren looked to Ike, looking more than a little surprised. The group had grown quiet, far from the lively atmosphere of a few moments ago, but Ranulf remained nonplussed.

"Didn't realize you guys had such a hivemind going. Will you finish each other's sentences next?"

Ike shrugged. "I was just guessing, but I got it right."

He smiled at Soren, and Soren looked a mite bit less homicidal, so it was something.

But then, Ranulf went a step further. "Never have I had a thing for Ike."

Heather and Ranulf both took a drink. Soren stubbornly glared at his, and pushed it aside. Ranulf looked around, and muttered a _seriously?_. Even Skrimir hadn't touched his drink. Kyza shrugged.

"He has really nice shoulders, okay," Kyza said.

"And abs," Lyre cut in.

"Hey, no fair. You guys are my fan club," Ranulf said.

"Well, we expanded a bit," Lyre and Kyza said, looking to each other and for once, agreeing on something.

"Mia? You too?"

"What? I didn't hear; I was refilling Ilyana's cup," she said.

"I guess Soren has a lot of company," Ranulf said.

"This is going a bit far, Ranulf. Cut it out," Ike said.

"It's just a joke between friends, Ike," Ranulf said.

"You're no friend of mine," Soren said. His face was flushed with a mix of embarrassment and hurt and rage. He pushed himself up and out of the circle and made his way to the door.

"Soren, wait---"

But Soren had already made his way for the door. Ike followed after him, leaving the party behind. He covered the distance in just a few strides and caught up.

"Soren, wait a second," Ike said. But Soren just kept walking. Ike reached out and just touched him, held onto his shoulder, and they stood there in the hallway, catching their breath.

"I didn't know he was going to do it," Ike said. "He just...does stuff. He doesn't mean anything by it. If I would've known that he'd put you on the spot, I would've canceled the whole thing."

Soren didn't look at him, but he didn't shrug off Ike's hand, or tell him off either. If anything beyond the shame and humiliation, he seemed sort of...sad.

"Of course you would defend him. In the end, people are all the same. Cold beings with no thought of their fellow humans. Nothing more than animals living on instinct. It's nothing but blind idealism to think anything less."

"I just wanted to spend more time with you, I didn't know that he'd turn it into some sort of truth game to tease it out of you."

"Why?" Soren said. His voice sounded very quiet and small, even hoarse. "Why would you want to know me?"

"I just do," Ike said.

Soren let out a long shaky breath. "If I'd not been so foolish and drunk that night...would you have even noticed I existed?"

"I...."

But Ike couldn't answer that one. Would he have? Grabbing someone and randomly making out with them under a bacon magnet was a pretty memorable meeting.

"I don't know. I'd like to think so," Ike said finally.

"We don't run in the same crowds, or take the same classes, we don't even like the same things," Soren said. "Even this conversation is illogical...and hopeless."

And he remembered once standing out in a hallway, looking for someone who had already gone. He didn't want to it to happen again.

"But, that doesn't really matter. I just want to see you again," Ike said. "So...can I? Probably without Ranulf this time."

Soren finally turned around to look at him. Not for the first time, Ike just had to boggle at how tiny he was. His hair had started to come out of his ponytail, and he was looking suspicious and yet...hopeful.

"Maybe," Soren said.

"All right," Ike said.

He leaned against the wall and watched as Soren walked on down the hall towards his own dorm. He could live with maybe.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> longfic_bingo: high school/college.
> 
> Janet's birthday comes right around the time Philomela escaped from the helljob. I intended to actually put it out around that time, but I fell down with an infection and it didn't come up until now...when Janet and Philomela are both having bad weeks. Also, I revised a lot of the earlier chapters.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who cheered me on and put up with slow updates.
> 
> Oh, and I never mentioned that the title comes from the Tori Amos song, did I? Whoops.
> 
> Before you judge my choices, I was drunk at almost every stage of writing this, including the editing. Actually, that probably doesn't help. I'm the most boring drunk ever. I once got drunk and then spent the entirety of the night organizing my pdf folder.
> 
> The worst alcohol-related choice I made while writing this was mixing Grape Koolaid with Coconut rum. I finished it, but top ten regrets right there.
> 
> The other 30% of writing was 4AM bad NaNoWriMo choices.
> 
> Wind betaed it, and now qualifies for sainthood for making sense of some of the latter parts.
> 
> Actually this has just been sitting in gdocs since about Thanksgiving,. The PSU on the PC blew.

Patience was not Ike's strong suit. Two days on, and it'd taken quite a bit to give Soren that space to think. Ike had checked the cards, but there wasn't exactly one for _My roommate messed up, sorry about that. I didn't think he'd take it that far, or I would've shut it down immediately._

The thought of showing up with flowers seemed preposterous. He grimaced, barely able to imagine the cliché scene, like the kinds he'd seen in many movies. The rain-soaked man at the doorway, with an apology that kind of sounded like a pop song.

But leaving his hands empty felt strange. He couldn't quite define what Soren was to him, so that made an apology all the harder. He danced the edge between almost friend and almost something else, something Ike couldn't quite tell.

What would Soren prefer? In the end, Ike could barely list anything but what Soren _didn't_ like. Books were a possibility, though he couldn't exactly buy a bouquet of them.

Or could he? Ike filed that thought away for later.

He checked the price of the textbooks, and the books he might read, and instantly scratched any idea of books. Even then, he couldn't even tell what books to get Soren, only that he probably didn't want _Swept Away In My Knight's Arms_ by Goldoan publishing.

Ike headed towards the bus stop. His bomber jacket was pulled tight against his throat. Just three years ago, this coat had been passed down from his father to grow into. The leather scent still left Ike filled with bittersweet memories. As much as he tried to memorize the plains of his father's craggy face, he found himself forgetting little things. For months, he'd listened over and over to the answering machine his father had made, until Titania made a new one. As if he could keep his father alive, one _leave a message after the beep_ at a time.

It'd been several months since he returned to the old farmhouse, yet it still held the old pang of nostalgia and bitter memories. The wallpaper of yellow flowers had faded with time. Pictures of Greil, Mist and him were hung on every wall. As he went on, more of his father's associates came into the pictures, though the one's with Shinon always were filled with him making a rude gesture towards the camera.

Every time he came back, it felt like everything come back to him. As if father would just be in the other room, going through his files. Titania sat at the kitchen table. A rope of braided thick red hair fell down her back. She laid her palm across the gingham blue tablecloth, just beside her tea. As she caught sight of him, Titania smiled. Ike noticed new lines at the corner of her lips.

"It's been a while, Ike," she said. She stood up and reached for him. Her hugs were always so tight, they felt like a headlock.

Titania smiled wryly. "I didn't expect to see you back so soon. You missed Oscar's cooking that much?" Titania said.

"A little, but that's not why I came. Do you have any tips on apologies, when you're apologizing to a friend?"

"Is this about Shinon? Generally the idea with him is simply to pay for whatever he broke, and explain that he's a hateful drunken mess of an asshole, and it isn't personal."

"No, though I'll file that away for later," Ike said.

He explained the situation. Titania folded her hands on the table as he spoke in quick, terse sentences all that had taken place. The ill-fated game, the aftermath, and how he'd lost the trust of someone who he'd barely even had a chance to meet, or befriend.

He left out the kiss; that would just complicate things.

Titania lifted up her cup for a sip. The seconds spanned on.

"I think you already know the answer, Ike. It sounds like you're asking permission for something you've already decided."

His father was always the one who taught him the hard lessons. He remembered swinging his fencing foil, thinking that one day, he'd reach his father's level. He hadn't swung a sword since the coffin was laid into the ground. Greil had missed his graduation, his full scholarship to college, so many birthdays, and now this new part of his life.

It was a new ache to match the old that he couldn't tell his father. He'd never be able to show his diploma, tell each time he made a touchdown, or show him Soren. Sometimes Ike felt like he was getting better, but the moments crept up on him, until he felt like an outsider in all the parties and joy around him.

And as much as Titania had been a part of his life, she could never completely fill the hole which was left. Ike lived, but with a limp, with an old war wound across his life.

"Yeah, I know. Thanks, Titania."

He rose, and left the house and its many memories. Lights unfolded as he got closer, back to the edge of Gallia. Ike was close to dozing, when the sudden stop made him jerk awake.

Gallia, again.

*

After the knock, there was such a long period of silence that he almost left. But the door opened a crack, and he didn't slam the door in Ike's face, so it was a start. He clasped the book with the knights tight against his chest, like a shield.

Ike cleared his throat. "I should've spoken up, I'm sorry. I didn't know they meant to put you on the spot like that," Ike said.

Soren was silent for several moments. Finally, he sighed. "You did. Eventually."

"I should've done it earlier," Ike said.

"I suppose it took an awkward turn for you as well," Soren said.

For a stranger, he knew Ike far better than Ike knew him. Ike stood at the door, at the halfway mark between coming into Soren's life and remaining outside with nothing but the confusion and the memories of that night.

Soren cleared his throat. "Did my notes help?"

"What? Oh, those. They're good. I actually felt like I understood the material better. Thanks."

"Good," Soren said.

Soren stepped back, but left the door open. Ike took it as an unsaid greeting, and let himself in.

It was clear which side was Soren's, and which was Mia's. Soren's had bookcases built into every wall, and even under his bed, while Mia's had swords mounted on the wall, and not just practice foils. It couldn't be more divided if there was some sitcom's tape between the room.

A closer look showed them with titles like _The Anatomy Of A Cell_ and _A History of Daein_.

Mia's side had an orange bean bag chair covered with the logo of her favorite team, the Pegasus Knights, while Soren had a reading chair which had to be antique. Ike didn't know one period from another, but it didn't look like the sort of thing somebody picked up at the local Goodwill, or off the side of the curb. He ran his hand across the top, only to find it red velvet with an edging of gold.

It looked almost like a throne.

"It was a gift," Soren said tersely.

Ike looked back.

"I'm not sure what you're looking for in a social call. I'm no good with people, surely you've noticed this by now."

"We had a pretty good talk before," Ike said.

"That..." Soren clutched the book closer to himself. "That won't happen again. I won't allow myself such foolishness."

"If you're holding back, then don't. You never know when people won't be a part of your life anymore."

It was only after he said the words, that he realized his blunder. It sounded like a threat, like some kind of emotional blackmail, something he would never do. Soren looked pale, as if he might drop the book he clutched so tightly.

"I didn't mean it like that. My father died. I still think about the trips we always talked about and never got to," Ike said. It came out more gruff than he intended.

"Mine too. We weren't close," Soren said. "The opposite. I wasn't the type of son he wanted."

Ike turned at this unexpected revelation. Soren looked so small, so fragile. All he wanted was to wrap Soren up in his arms, until all this disappeared. So, he did. With Ike, there was no in-between, just the thought and the action. Soren tensed against him, the book was brittle, with pointed edges that dug into his chest. But Ike didn't let go.

The contact felt so _right_. Soren fit just underneath his head, snug and safe. Wrapped in Ike's arms, Soren slowly started to unclench his body.

"Anybody who rejected you is an idiot," Ike said.

He stroked Soren's hair.

"I'm sorry. I can't even comfort someone properly," Soren said. He stiffly pulled away. Ike expected him to bolt, but he simply stepped back. When he looked up at Ike, he was unreadable. Was it confusion, hurt, or happiness? Ike couldn't tell, as Soren's entire being seemed to shift between each emotion.

"You take that book around a lot," Ike said.

"It was a―birthday present," Soren said.

Soren clutched it to his chest, almost in a tender gesture. His dark hair fell over his shoulders as he looked down.

"You should--"

Ike's phone buzzed, interrupting him. Soren fell silent.

"They can wait," Ike said.

Three more texts came.

"I better check; it might be an emergency," Ike said.

Three texts from Ranulf. _Coach Largo called an emergency training session!! Apparently, the scouts came back and the Wyverns are really tough! If you don't come soon you'll never hear the end of it! That guy bench-pressed tigers! Don't make him mad!_

"Go on. I wouldn't hold you up."

Ike couldn't think of a way to fill this, so he simply nodded. He wasn't any less confused by Soren, but at least they'd mended things slightly.

*

Largo's training sessions were always punctuated by those blaring Youtube videos made from clips of movies and motivational speakers. Sometimes, he'd look at Largo and wish he'd gotten a chance to meet Ike's father. They would've had old war tales to share, Ike was sure of that. But that was just another thing that would never happen.

Largo always kept his 'troops' as he called them, until dusk had fallen.

Ike returned with aching muscles. It'd been good to work out the confusion, the feeling of something like a forgotten word on the tip of his tongue. Except the word was _Soren_.

After a few aspirin and a hot shower, Ike headed to the kitchen. The fridge wasn't just rusty, but Rusty now. Mia had apparently named it after they'd gone on when Soren had stormed out. It even had a name tag. Ike hadn't exactly been there, because after Soren went he just didn't feel like hanging around and watching everyone else party and turned in. He'd always been a heavy sleeper who could conk out despite whatever party was happening. It was probably the only way he could remain friends with Ranulf.

He was about to drink straight out of the milk carton when he had a _moment_ or something. He reached up on top of Rusty and got a red cup plastic cup, poured the milk into the cup, instead of the usual drinking from the carton thing.

"I saw that," Ranulf said. He shook his head, then paused to cringe a bit. "At this rate you'll be _domesticated_ , you are one step away from being a house cat."

"Domesticated?" Ike said. Especially after the Never Have I Ever incident. Ike hardly paid attention to the 'bro code' or whatever the college guys were into these days. For all his talk of being a 'wingman' or 'pilot' Ranulf had certainly done him no favors that night.

"Yeah, you've got domesticated written all over you. You know, I'm going to get started on my best man's toast. Today, even and all this is totally going down on it," Ranulf said.

"That's a bit early. "It's not even February yet," Ike said.

"You say that, but it's almost prime wedding season. I've got to get in my order early, before the rush comes in," Ranulf said.

Ike just shook his head and downed his milk. From a cup, no less, as opposed to the usual dorm habit of simply drinking straight from the carton. Something was happening here. It had come around the time Soren had appeared, but Ike couldn't tell if it was connected or not.

Ranulf had been training Ike bit by bit for the Flip cup and Beer Pong championship. This involved a lot of trash-talking, beer drinking, and kegstand lessons from the champ, Skrimir.

What didn't happen was a lot of flipping of cups, or throwing of ping-pong balls, but that was really extraneous. _Anybody_ could flip cups or toss a ball. So Ranulf trained by drinking a lot of beer and talking trash. Like most parties, Ike was just there because it happened in his apartment.

According to Ranulf, Skrimir had superhuman beer drinking abilities, and resisted getting smashed like some kind of metaphor or other. There was a reason he wasn't taking Modern Tongue 101, and his metaphor fail was right there near the top.

The way Skrimir arrived, no one ever missed him. In fact, the best description would be like a giant furry lion version of the Kool-Aid guy, except he occasionally used doors.

"I have _arrived!_ " Skrimir bellowed. He hefted a large keg, and when he placed it by the couch, Ike saw that it was an older keg which the top had been sawed off of, and it was filled to the brim with fried chicken.

"Beer battered wings. _Nice_ ," Ranulf said.

"That is not all, for I have brought another keg for practicing for the beer pong championship!"

He was out the door in a flash, and in a second he was back with a keg and a tiny girl on it, behind him was Mia who was rolling in another keg. There were seven kegs of fried chicken and ribs in all. Ike made a mental note to go to whatever parties Skrimir threw. They were more his style than what Ranulf got up to.

"The little science major eats everything," Skrimir said with pride. "I met her in an eating contest, where she soundly thrashed me!"

"So....hungry," she said, and nearly fell into the couch.

"Here, little science major. Eat some wings."

"Foood," she said, her voice going breathy with desire. She fell face first into the bucket, and just as Ike was going to help her out, he realized she had already eaten a fourth of the bucket. Ike had never seen anyone dig into chicken wings like that. He couldn't help but think there should be awards for that kind of thing. Maybe her minor was in eating?

"That is some snarfing power," Ike said.

"I bet she likes to eat _other_ things," Ranulf said with a wink.

"Like burgers?" Ike said.

"...Yes, Ike. I'm sure she likes burgers," Ranulf said, shaking his head.

For a moment she came up for air from devouring pieces of fried chicken. "Burgers are...delicious. So are hot dogs, especially with relish and mustard, oh and pizza is good too, and milkshakes--"

Ike nodded in approval. "Pizza's pretty good, especially the meat lover's kind."

Both Ilyana and Skrimir's eyes lit up. "Meat lover's pizza...." Ilyana said breathily. "Are we ordering some?"

"Only the best! I can buy ten of them at once and eat them for lunch!" Skrimir said. "Now _she_ can eat twenty."

Ilyana had barbecue special sauce smeared all over her face, and Skrimir just grinned a huge, toothy grin.

"Right now we're working on getting her a gym membership, so she can go pump iron with us," Mia said.

Ike looked skeptically at her. Ilyana looked like if she held onto a balloon big enough, she'd float away. "Can she even lift up the bar?" Ike said.

"Surprisingly, she can lift up a lot when she isn't fainting. Skrimir keeps snapchatting her lifting instead of helping spot her. But that's just the start. We're gonna make her buff and strong! Or at least able to get up the stairs without help," Mia said.

Ilyana lifted her hand up for a sauce covered triple brofist with both Skrimir and Mia.

"Wow, you guys are getting along famously," Ranulf said. "Pretty good of me to introduce you, huh?"

"Yes, yes, you have the sense between us," Skrimir said.

Ranulf grinned. "We've been friends for ages. He always got in trouble, and I was the skinny but handsome cat chasing after him going 'Skrimir, no!'"

"At least once or twice, he stopped me from doing anything rash," Skrimir said. He nodded to the memory.

"Probably why the place is still standing," Ranulf said.

Ike sat on the floor across from the trio, because Skrimir practically took up the whole couch, and Ilyana fit because she was tiny, and Mia was sitting on the armrest. He had his very own keg of chicken and ribs.

"So, how has Soren been?" Ike said.

"Ooh, this is the part where I get pumped for information! I've never had to be the go-to roommate before, especially for a guy. This is pretty interesting," Mia said.

Ike frowned. "It's not like that."

Ranulf laughed. "Admit it, Ike. It's _totally_ like that."

"Mmmm- _hmmm_ ," Mia said.

"This isn't a hook-up, or whatever you call them. It's just there's something I should know, but don't. Does that make any sense?" Ike said.

"It's called liking someone, Ike. It's not a big mystery. Actually, it is, but that's beside the point. Hey, Ilyana, lay some science on me."

"Biological...imperative... Hormones... Organelles..Meiosis...H-haploid and Diploid...p-periodic table...ah...I'm so hungry...."

"Quick, her sugar's crashing! She needs more food, stat!" Mia said.

Ilyana leaned against Mia. She let out a pitiful moan, and Mia reached into the pouch at her side and procured a bag of cheez doodles.

"I don't know how she even manages up those steps to the sci major land, they're pretty hardcore," Ranulf said.

"Well, she doesn't. I was carrying her up scienceland on my back, but now Skrimir helps. And then we have to do her homework for her, sometimes, when she hasn't eaten in long enough, which I think is about zero-point five seconds. Which gets interesting as we're both sports scholarship students, and Skrimir is always doing his homework after three kegs. I think the last paper we did was about how rainbows taste salty, and then we submitted a cat macro about stars. We got a C+ for originality."

Ike didn't even begin how to explain it to himself, let alone other people. So he didn't. Instead he went back to lunch, and actually managed to get a few bites in before Ilyana gave him the puppy eyes and stole his entire keg.

After that, he went out to the fields. Coach Largo nodded at his dedication, before he went back to telling the art teacher about how he'd bench pressed those tigers once.

*

Everyone was a little off with the upcoming exam season. Only Ranulf would stay cheerful, as he mysteriously passed every one of his tests after never studying and partying all night, even the day before finals. Ranulf was made of miracles, or possibly under the table deals from the Gallian royalty. No one could tell.

Coach Largo didn't let them have breaks, even if it was snowing, sleeting, off-season, or The cheerleaders used to practice at the same time, but they were moved after several guys on the team but him were having bouts of distraction. Ike had never seen the issue; they were just frilly skirts. It didn't stop random people from staying in the bleachers. For some reason, a lot of random girls used that time to brush their hair, apply lipstick and talk about stuff, and wave to him. Ike figured there were tons of better places to brush their hair, especially in this weather.

For some reason, this always made the girls scream and giggle. He never really saw the joke in waving back when someone waved to you. Ike just brushed it off as one of the mysteries of life.

He looked forward to practice all day, with Coach Largo yelling about how back in his day, he could lift two of the Tigers players one in each arm. Eventually it'd just fade to this angry background noise, like Skrimir was bellowing at the game and smashing beer cans to his head, and he could just lose himself in running laps, or going through the training stuff. Mia, and Ilyana were working their way through a bag of Cheetos.

The person he didn't expect to see was Soren, who had a textbook spread across his lap.

"Hey, Mia. How exactly did you and Soren become roommates again? Was there some backroom deal?" Ranulf said.

"Soren thinks his family back in Daein heard about my sword skills, and was trying to pair him up with a great swordsman. I'm flattered, but I'm not exactly his type," Mia said.

"Too cheery," Ilyana said.

"That too. Needless to say, we aren't getting married anytime soon." Mia said.

Daein? That'd explain the trace of an accent Ike couldn't quite place. Several of the crowd glanced over to Soren, looking for his res

"Be nice. We just went through this," Ike said.

"Roasting is a sign of friendship, Ike. Look it up, it's in the dictionary and everything,"

"No dictionary says that," Soren said.

"Urban Dictionary does," Ranulf said.

He held up his arms in a cheer. Mia joined him, because she'd join in on anybody's happiness. Whether it was dancing when Skrimir did the _I passed another class_ victory dance, or Skrimir's _My chicken nuggets came, now let us devour them_ dance.

Soren's phone buzzed. He frowned at the screen. "I have to take this."

Soren left his bag, and even the book he'd always seen clutching. 

*

The meeting mostly consisted of Largo flexing and pointing at a bunch of the highlights of his old career before he got that injury. But by the time it was done, Soren still hadn't showed.

"Soren's been gone a really long time," Ike said.

"Maybe he had to take a giant dump or something. He eats like nothing but shredded wheat. He's like rooming with an old guy. That's actually the perfect metaphor for Soren. He hates everyone, he'd probably tell kids to get off his lawn, and he'd probably willingly wear crocs," Mia said.

"Worse; I saw him wear socks with sandals. Lyre lost about three lives just from seeing them. She started a Change.org petition to burn them for the sake of humanity. She got five hundred signatures and everything," Ranulf said.

Ike ignored their comments and scanned the crowd. He had never taken much stock in the supernatural. But he had a sense of impending dread, one that reminded him of rain on stone, and the tall black armor that filled his half-forgotten nightmares.

"I'm going to go check on him," Ike said.

"Good thinking. You wouldn't want him to fall in," Ranulf called after him as Ike made his way up the bleachers for a better view. Ike shielded his face from the sun with his hands as he glanced across the rest.

It was mostly empty, save for the girls. Some dated the football players, others wanted to, and still others followed him around for some unknown reason. They were always giggling and making awkward conversation when he had to get to class or practice.

Ike took the stairs, and walked the long hall to the gates, until he was almost to the road. He caught a glimpse of dark hair in his peripheral view. Soren's back was to him, a slim phone held to his ear.

"I'm here. What do you want?"

A car passed by, and Soren's voice was drowned out. Someone climbed out of the black sedan. He wore a dark coat, with a collar that came well up past his chin, like the knight of Ike's nightmares. It was only at that flash of light, the metal of a shotgun raised that Ike realized what was happening.

"You're breaking up. I can't hear you. What?" Soren said. It was only when the gun clicked that Soren clutched tighter to his phone.

 _Son? Soren? Soren?_ came a voice over the phone.  
He didn't think, only moved, tackling with all his strength. He heard a roar in his ears, and then burning, burning. In the movies, everything went in slow motion, but for Ike, everything seemed so fast. Two seconds until his breath was knocked out from him, three seconds until he tasted blood in his mouth, the explosion of pain in every single nerve of his body.

Soren said something else, but the words turned sharp inside him. He tried to blink, but nothing cleared, it got more confusing. His head felt like it was pushed underwater.

There was burning spreading from the crown of his head down. Everything was shaking, and the images blurred until they kept going together and he couldn't tell what was what. There was glass on the pavement. shimmering and shining, like sun on water.

And it wasn't just the pain, but the memory of pain that left his mind aching.

_"Ike? Ike! You can't leave me again. Please, Ike!_

*

Ike opened his eyes, only to close them again to get away from the bright light.

"There you are. Need more pain medication? I can...let's see here. Ah, there you go."

The nurse pushed some button and something definitely changed. The world grew softer, the pain started to fade.

"Is....he all right?"

"The man you saved? He's fine. You were a real hero," she smiled then. "Oh, but the attacker got away. I hope they catch him soon."

"Morphine?" said a familiar voice.

Ike opened his eyes again, with a little more success this time. Soren didn't just look angry, but determined, like he was willing to fight it out for a cause. Ike wanted to say something, but his mouth felt so dry so all that came out was a hoarse whisper. Neither of them noticed right off.

"Oh, no. This is a new type of painkiller. It isn't addictive at all. The clinical trials have been really promising," she said.

"And the side effects?" Said the voice, harsher this time.

"It's very recently been released for medical use. There's almost no side-effects. It's an old Heron secret which was finally released by the Heron royal family. It was even sponsored by the Duke of Persis himself."

"If this drug is faulty, you _will_ hear from my lawyers personally."

"Um, sir, there has been no evidence--"

Soren frowned at her, seeming to notice a name tag for the first time. "You're a _student_? You mean to tell me they have mere _students_ taking care of _Ike_?"

"It's part of my training program, I assure you that all the stitches and bandaging were done by registered nurses, I was only supposed to do the rounds and watch while a nurse with more seniority...Really, she was supposed to be here--"

"And where is your superior now?"

"She...had to take a call, she should be here shortly," the girl said apologetically.

"It's all right, Soren. Don't worry about it. Everything will be fine," Ike said.

Ike pushed himself up, and both the nurse and Soren reached for him. Soren pulled back, like he'd been burnt.

"Please don't get up yet. I know I'm still inexperienced and learning. But I'll do what I can until Sigrun returns," she said. There was a deep resolve in her eyes, through the hurt.

"You're trying, that's what matters," Ike said.

"That motivational speech doesn't account for much when it comes to someone's ability to practice medicine," Soren said coldly.

Her brown eyes widened. "I--"

"I've yet to see any credentials for--"

Ike cut him off. "That's enough. I think you need to sleep, Soren," Ike said.

His phone buzzed, and Soren looked down. He reluctantly took to a corner and began to answer whatever message he'd gotten. After several more buzzes, Soren let out a sigh and went for the door. Somehow he looked both harsher and more fragile than Ike had ever seen him. Thick dark circles curved under his eyes. Even his steps were slightly off, as if he might nod off right there between the fake plants.

"I'll be back. Don't think that I'll forget this. Should his care be mishandled..."

Ike rubbed his head. He wasn't sure what was going through Soren's head, though what was going through his was somewhere between _ow_ and _what the hell just happened?_

He got a better look at her when the brightness of the room became manageable. Her green hair was in a bun pulled up from her face, and she wore white and light purple scrubs with pegasi all over them.

"There you are. Glad to see you're back with us," she said. She smiled in a way that reminded him of Mist, with a pureness and light which spoke of past sadness underneath.

"It wasn't too bad," Ike said.

"Your report begs to differ. Though he really should be sleeping after all that surgery," she said.

"I'm not nodding off anytime soon, considering that I just woke up," Ike said.

"I mean your little friend, here. He stayed all night, we couldn't even get him to leave...they were going to call security, but I pulled some strings and got him a pillow." She said.

"Don't worry, it's not personal. He hates most everyone and everything," Ike said.

"Ah, yes. Soren's always been like that. One of those...what are they called, emus?"

"I don't think he's a bird," Ike said.

Though damn if he didn't have bird bones.

"I'll remember the term eventually," she said. "Anyways, he was low on sleep and worried about you. When you're like this, you get used to being yelled at. In a way, it's part of the job. Comforting them where you can. Sometimes the stress gets to people and they break."

"Was everyone else all right?" Ike said.

"Amazingly, no one else was hit by the bullets. It was so close, you caught every single one. The shooter was lost in the crowd, and there's been no luck in catching him." She reached to look over the IV drip.

"No one thought you would make it. A hit at that range, well..." She fell silent.

Suddenly it all fell into place where he'd seen her before. There'd been a big media storm about a missing heir found.

"Aren't you the queen or something?" Ike said.

She ducked her head, her cheeks flushed pink. "Well, I suppose you could say I am the princess. I was never raised in the castle, though. My father was afraid of a media storm, a succession crisis. You know how it is," she said, with a smile.

Actually, Ike didn't, but he didn't say that.

"Aren't you busy with ruling and stuff like that?" Ike said.

"My family wasn't too happy initially...but I want to help my people and understand them so I can truly rule well when it's my time. If war breaks out again, I want to be able to lead them and be able to change their dressings at the front of battle if need be. I've gained so much patience and empathy I never would have. I've seen tragic things, but I've helped heal some wounds. And I'm honored to be able to help my people in any way I can."

"I'd vote for you," Ike said.

She laughed. "It doesn't quite work like that."

He smiled a bit, and then grimaced in pain. "I know."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you laugh. That'd make the stitches hurt. I promise I'll be extremely unfunny next time."

A little red light flashed at the door.

"Oh, you've got another visitor. Just push that button if you need me," Elincia said.

"Hey, Ike. Did Soren storm off when he saw her?" Ranulf said.

"How'd you know?" Ike said.

"Figured. Also, Skrimir owes me ten gald You got real flesh wounds and all. Even Skrimir doesn't have that kind of manliness appeal. I bet he's going to have to fight a dragon to get back his manly cred."

Ike grimaced. "I don't care about stuff like that. Soren being okay is all that matters."

"I told him you'd say that. Now he owes me twenty gald," Ranulf said.

He pulled out his phone and showed a picture. Skrimir, Mia and Ilyana lifted their hands up in a fist, all in solidarity. Shinon--Ike had no idea why he was even there. Alcohol, probably--flipped off the camera. Heather made a very rude gesture: her tongue between a v.

Ike wouldn't have even known what it was, but Ranulf took his lack of slang personally and made him study Urban Dictionary for at least fifteen minutes a day, even if some of the results were scarring.

"Everyone's glad you're okay, but we're super bummed you'll miss the playoffs and the beer pong championship. I mean, if you took a drink, the beer would just spurt out your bullet holes. You'd win every one," Ranulf said.

"I think that only happens in cartoons," Ike said.

"Soren freaked, though. He kept calling your name and clung so tight that Mia had to pry his fingers away from your shirt when the paramedics came. He kept going 'don't leave me again, Ike.'"

"Again?"

He hadn't thought of Soren other than the intelligent, slightly strange boy who'd kissed him on a whim. But the more he found out about Soren, the more he knew that Soren didn't have whims.

"Hey, don't ask me. I think we need to get some kind of private investigator up in this. It's like some film noir epic. We've got assassins, gay love affairs, and I even saw a lady in black in the waiting room," Ranulf said.

He saw a very tall silhouette. The visitor's light flicked on. She cleared her throat.

"Speaking of which, I better get out of here. She looks like the type of lady to call a hit on someone before her morning vodka. Stay strong, Ike. You'll be healed up and back on the field before you know it," Ranulf said.

The woman stepped in without knocking. She watched Ranulf leave, and faced Ike only when they were alone.

She was clad in black, speaking of old class and old money. Ike's first thought was _she has to be lost_.

"You saved my son, and for that, you have my gratitude," she said. It sounded almost curt, even accusatory. Only a woman like her could make a thank you sound like a slap to the face.

She was massive, at least six feet tall, yet as he looked, he could see reflections of Soren in her. Her imposing, even haughty red eyes, her hair swept across her shoulder, that showed a different sheen in the light, the sharp angles and sharper words. Except where Soren's eyes were filled with bitterness and hurt, her’s were filled with an untold power.

"This, however, doesn't mean I've forgotten what your father did, nor what you did."

"I don't know what you're talking about. My father died years ago."

"Proof that there is some justice in this world," she said.

Ike flinched. He couldn't even respond to such harsh words.

Her gaze was steely and cold. "Listen now. Don't you break my boy's heart again. I'll claw out your heart and eat it if you even think of making him cry." she said.

Ike had no doubts that this threat was entirely serious. But when it came to Soren, he wasn't about to back down. Not to this imposing woman who had barged into his life, and not to the barrel of a gun.

"Listen, lady, we already worked that out. My friends go overboard sometimes. It got out of hand," Ike said.

"You have worked out nothing. You left without even a goodbye, and caused him untold sadness."

Ike shook his head, but it only hurt. Everything seemed very far away, with no hints of these gruesome memories.

She held out a black envelope, and tossed it onto the bed. "I cannot take anymore of your ignorance. Even if my son is determined to withstand it, I will not be so accepting. Open this only when everything seems hopeless, and not a moment earlier."

She turned and left without a goodbye.

Ike was left reeling from the conversation. His first thought was _I can almost see where Soren got it_.

Ike noticed something on the chair. He tilted his head, and saw that in his rage and hurry to leave, Soren had left his book. He reached out and picked up the heavy tome of a book. Something about string theory? Ike didn't even know Soren liked knitting. Something slipped out.

It was a photocopy of a picture. Two boys were grimacing at the camera. One of the boys wore a pirate hat so large that little more than his chin and nose could be seen peeking from underneath, while the other tried to adjust the hat. The other boy had a bandana tied around his little head, but he could definitely tell that it was Soren.

The book itself was really dry, not his thing at all, but he couldn't stop glancing at the picture. Even as he grimaced, he still seemed like he might burst into laughter as he fought with the hat. He couldn't imagine Soren now breaking into laughter, but if this picture was right, he once could have.

He set the envelope beside the bed. Ike didn't reach for it. As far as he could see, things were far from hopeless.

 

*

Soren didn't return for a while. Or at least Ike guessed, as he'd fallen in and out of sleep until he wasn't actually sure what day it was, or the time. Ike woke up one of the times and Soren was there, writing down notes and reading. Homework, maybe?

"You came back," Ike said.

He had dark circles under his eyes, and he looked even more pale and fragile than usual.

Soren closed his book. "I would've come sooner...I fell asleep. I'm leaving in a few hours," Soren said.

"Back home? Your mother came."

"I know; I met her outside," Soren said.

"Well, you've gotten to the point where you actually tell me. Progress, I guess," Ike said.

Soren inclined his head. "I suppose."

He glanced down. "This was my fault. I'm sorry."

"For what? I'd do it again and again if it meant you'd be okay," Ike said.

Soren closed his eyes. " Don't say such a thing. You could've—you could've _died._ For a moment, I thought you had...that I'd found you again, only to lose you..." His hands trembled as he closed his book. "...No. It keeps happening because of me. It won't happen again."

He got up, and put his books into his messenger bag.

"Soren, you need to sleep," Ike said.

"You're right....Goodbye, Ike." He didn't look back as he closed the door.

He hadn't even gotten a chance to give Soren back the photo. Ike pulled it out and glanced over it again.

*

If Ike had his way, he would've been out of there the minute he woke up. He didn't have much to do, except surf through the channels. Ranulf had once joked that Ike's life turned into a soap opera, and considering that this Life Of The Melodramatic Or Whatever It Was Called featured a dark haired bitter girl prone to running away, he was starting to wonder if Ranulf was right.

He turned it off a little bit after the dark haired girl decided to marry the guy's evil twin brother. At least she was brainwashed to explain it, because the guy was way better than Evil McNasty, who only wanted to steal her away for evil plots and life insurance policies.

Then it was just him and the dull throbbing ache at the top of his head and the vague beeping sounds of the hospital. He checked out the room around him, but it wasn't too interesting. There was a fern which looked fake which made Ike wonder why they'd take the trouble to put a random fake plant in there, various machines, horizontal blinds, and a whole lot of white. He bet Kyza and Lyre, fixing duo that they were, would've done something with it.

He didn't have a roommate, and Ranulf and the group weren't anywhere around. Even Soren was off somewhere--he'd have to apologize for being harsh on him earlier. Soren was probably pretty stressed, but taking it out on a nurse wouldn't help anything, especially when she was only trying to help.

But a flash of the visitor light dragged his attention away from the soap opera.

Titania's hands were filled with several packages. "Sorry for the wait, I had to secure the rest of the group before I could buy the tickets," she said.

In one was a small ziplock bag of cookies. In another, it was a bit of smoked jerky. Ike hadn't had anything nearing real food—let alone homecooked—for far too long. He went straight for the jerky.

"Mist wanted to send you some 'Magic Meatloaf' to make you feel better. I didn't have the heart to tell her it'd probably make you feel worse."

Titania handed over a card. _Get Well Soon_ was plastered over the front in glittery letters between large yellow flowers. Inside were many signatures and well wishes.

"Mist picked out the card?"

Titania smiled. "That she did."

On the other side was a large blacked out portion.

"Shinon's?" Ike said.

Titania grimaced. "He snuck it in while I wasn't looking. Thankfully, I hadn't written mine yet and caught it."

"Let me guess: 'go fuck yourself?'" Ike said.

"Part of it. He got into details; cacti were involved. But that's neither here nor there."

A whole desert worth of cacti must have been involved, because there was a lot blacked out, almost the entire other side of the card.

"The police have been searching for the man who attacked you and Soren. There's some big reward from Soren's homeland. Despite all this, I don't know that he'll ever be found." She pursed her lips together. "Sometimes life is like that."

His mind went back to the picture, and everything that Soren's mother and Soren had hinted at. Pirate hats and smiles, and yet all he had were vague images he couldn't piece together.

"Titania, Was I ever in an accident like this before? I think I remembered some things. They don't make any sense. Like, I shouldn't remember them."

He'd never seen the Daein Keep in anywhere but documentaries. The figure bent over his mother looked like his father, clad in black armor.

It was just a half-formed dream.

Titania sat down. It took her several moments to speak.

"It was a long time ago. Greil didn't speak of it, but I know something happened. You were under the care of a therapist for a long time. After he began to work with you and Mist, there were no more night terrors. But before then, you and Mist would draw and speak of strange things, gruesome things."

Two boys playing pirates. _You left without a single goodbye._

His head ached like it was splitting open. Flashes of images were just beneath the surface, but he couldn't quite grasp them.  
"That's all I know."

But Ike remembered the envelope. He knew whatever his past was, it would lie in Daein.

*

When Ike finally got out of the hospital, Soren was gone. His side of the room was a series of boxes stacked high. Even the bookcases had been emptied.

"He might be transferring. I don't know, he was pretty upset. I could barely get him to talk," Mia said. She hung her head, her usual cheery demeanor disappeared.

A party in his honor had been planned, but when the release date was pushed back, it went on without him. Ranulf sent him the highlights. The flip cup championship, and the beer pong championship came next, and more debauchery. Ike shook his head. He felt faintly tired just looking at the pictures.

All he felt was relief to have missed them.

"Since you can't drink with the medication, I brought some Grapeade. It tastes so much like a wine cooler, it's like high school just punched you in the face," Ranulf said. He poured it out in a red cup, and handed it over to Ike.  
Ike stared down at his cup. He remembered a first time he'd seen Soren, between cheesy bacon bread. Like dots on a map, he connected them. One _the way he looks at me, so desperate and wary_ , two _the way he softens around me_ , three _that kiss_.

"Something up?" Ranulf said. He lifted his eyebrows. "You're awful quiet.

"He's in love with me," Ike said.

"Yep," Ranulf said.

"Wait, you're not surprised? You already knew?" Ike said.

"Yep," Ranulf said.

"So you knew all along that he loved me, and you didn't tell me?"

"It was much more fun this way. Besides, if I told you, you'd run off and do some stupid gesture which would scare him off. Sort of like the things you did without my help, come to think of it," Ranulf said.

Ike was already up and reaching for his coat.

"...Like you're going to do now, huh," Ranulf said.

"I don't want to wake up one day and think there was so much I could've said and that chance isn't there anymore. I didn't get that chance with my mother and father. Even if I crash and burn in the process, I can live and know I tried."

Ranulf rose up from the couch, and clapped him on the back. "It's a long shot, but I like your odds."

Ike only went back for two things.

The black envelope and photo waited for him on his desk, the cheap one he'd gotten at a Big Lots closeout for on sale, because the left metal leg was damaged. He had to put a book underneath the leg to keep it from wobbling.

For the first time, her words struck true. Ike opened up the envelope. Inside were two tickets to Daein. There were no dates, and yet they seemed valid. Anytime tickets? Ike hadn't even known those were a thing. Apparently, this woman scoffed in the face of rules.

What had she been planning? She took Soren away, and then she gave Ike the means to follow after him.

Or had it been Soren's choice?

Either way, like hell was Ike going to let Soren just leave his life like that.

*

The sound of the train lulled Ike to sleep for hours. He arrived to snow and frozen earth. He should've brought a thicker coat. Ike thrust his hands into his coat pockets, and took a bus through the city. It was surrounded by a thick stone wall, with stone apartments and houses all the same shade of gray as a winter morning.

Within the envelope was also instructions, and a seal upon a letter. A note was attached to the letter, with large, swooping handwriting.

_Offer this to the guards. Then you will be let in without a hassle. Even you can accomplish something as simple as this._

Through the snowy cobblestones, past the wooden gate and into the keep. The guards accepted the papers at every station. His jacket hadn't been enough. Even a tan Carhartt was little against the Daein wind.

The stone walls were covered with animal head trophies, weapons, and tapestries worn with age. As Ike walked in, he was greeted with a map and pamphlet of Daein's historical sites.

Once, they had survived on taxes and the blood of their people. Now the last of the royal family survived only by tourism.

Ike checked the library first. More often than not, that was where he'd encountered Soren before. The air inside the castle wasn't much warmer than outside. A place as old as this must've been a nightmare to install a heating system in. Ike half suspected that Ashnard hadn't even tried.

The bookcases were made of thick dark stained wood, and went up to the ceiling. It looked more like a barracks than a library, with the many weapons hung upon the walls.

Ike passed _The History of Daein, volumes 1-25_ and _Myths and Folklore of the Continent of Tellius_ as he walked by. He found Soren seated at one of the large tables spread out for study, a textbook laid out before him.

"Hey," Ike said.

Soren flinched, and his pen clattered to the floor.

"Ike... What are you doing here?"

"Your mother gave me this," Ike said. He handed over the envelope. "Right after she threatened to eat my heart if I ever made you cry again."

"That's my mother for you," Soren said dryly. He set the envelope aside on the large tables.

"You shouldn't have come... You were almost killed. You took a bullet for me," Soren said. He clung to his book with a tense grip to keep from trembling. 

"Of course I did, Soren. I'd do it again."

"It was just an assassination attempt. It's not worth risking your life over," Soren said.

Soren sounded far too jaded for someone his age.

"...you've been through something like that before?" Ike said.

"Your father's name was Gawain then. He served King Ashnard. I'm sure you've heard of him before?"

"The mad king Ashnard? The tyrant?"

"That's the one. He was my father," Soren said.

Soren turned away and looked out the massive windows.

"I didn't show the potential he wanted. What did he think? That I would come out some kind of monster, with scales and wings? I wouldn't be surprised, when it comes to him."

"Soren..."

"I was kidnapped at age five. Come to find out, my father did it to test my mother’s loyalty. He was always doing that, testing loyalties. Until someone turned on him and exposed his crimes. It's a theme in the Daein royal family. This was hardly the first time, nor will it be the last."

He still had a hard time reconciling the idea of a _prince_ and Soren. The words seemed to not fit together, even slightly. A prince in sneakers and tight jeans, with a shirt that had some nerdy flippant quote about Chemistry that he didn't even begin to get. _Schrodinger’s Cat walks into a bar, and doesn't._

"You're a prince? Really?"

"It's just a meaningless outdated title. Kings and queens are little more than figureheads for the senates these days."

Ike shook his head, but it only hurt. Everything seemed very far away, with no hints of these gruesome memories.

"You haven't even remarked on my father," Soren said. "Go on. Get it over with. I've heard enough from the papers. I'm used to it."

"I would never judge you on who you're related to. Besides, I already met your mother," Ike said.

"Heh..." Soren stood up and walked to the window.

"You were my only friend. You held my hand when a bullet hit a tree as we walked home. You shared your sandwich with me. You were even kidnapped with me. And then... You disappeared. You never even said goodbye," Soren said.

Ike came closer.

"I don't remember anything from that time, but I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you," Ike said.

"....you were a child. You couldn't do anything. But it still hurt. I held onto that pain for years. The thought that everything in my life could be taken away....it seemed pointless to try again."

"I didn't remember," Ike said.

Soren went to the shelf and plucked up a book. But even as he tried to mask his discomfort,  
his hands trembled. He clutched tighter to the book he held. "That was the worst part. Knowing that the moments which were so important to me were meaningless to you. That you didn't even remember them at all..."

Ike pulled out the picture, and held it to Soren. "I don't think it was meaningless. This says otherwise."

Two little boys playing pirates. Soren beamed at the camera. He'd never seen Soren smile like that, but he'd find a way to regain that smile. Even if he had to take another bullet to do so.

"Titania says something happened. I went into therapy. She says before then, there were night terrors."

"How long have you been in love with me?" Ike said.

Soren stared outside at the passing cars through the window as if he hadn't heard. Finally in a small voice, he replied. "Since we were children. I think from the very first moment you handed me your sandwich in the gardens."

Ike ran his fingers through his hair. He didn't even remember most of his childhood. He didn't remember a lot of things, but that empty part of his memory had never bothered him until now. He'd just lived on, not realizing who he might have left behind. But he'd seen flashes then, of a boy who looked a lot like a younger Soren holding tight to his hand.

"I've only just started to find out a lot of what happened then," Ike said.

"I know," Soren said. He swallowed nervously, and held onto the book as if he might keel over. "I know..."

"You all right? You aren't drunk again, are you?"

At this rate, Ike thought Soren might get drunk on the fumes of alcohol. With someone as lightweight as him, anything was possible.

"No. I'm fine. But I have studying to do, so--"

"Don't go," Ike said. He reached out for Soren's arm, and kept his grip gentle to not bruise his skin. "Don't keep running away from me."

"Ike..."

"Listen for a second, okay? I suck at word stuff. I'm too blunt and rarely notice things, but I want to say something."

Soren sighed. He looked more sad than irritated. "Fine. Have your say."

"I'm not for hookups at all. I've never really dated anyone. The closest I got was way back when, something with playing house with an old friend. I don't even remember it. It's just this family joke about future marriages and stuff," Ike said.

"Playing pirates...." Soren said.

"What?" Ike asked.

"First mate will never leave the captain...The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything...You wore that captain's hat all summer long. You were going to be my knight, just like your father was to mine. No, even more. Seeing you was the only thing I looked forward to after that first kidnap attempt. Everything could be snatched away, but you always said you'd stay. You shared your food with me, and stayed with me every night when the nightmares got too bad."

"So wait...my first love was....you?"

Soren nodded. The look in his eyes was nearing softness, he half-smiled, but it seemed so incredibly sad. "Yes, Ike."

"Anyways....this is what I meant to say earlier. Hi, my name is Ike, and I don't really know you yet, but I want to," he said.

Soren closed his eyes. He looked peaceful, for once. Before even thinking, Ike reached to touch his cheek. Soren stirred from whatever memories saying that had dug up.

"Hello, Ike. Or I should say, hello again," Soren said.

"This time, I promise I won't forget. No matter what happens. And I'll keep you safe."

Ike swore to himself that he'd bring back that happy smile he'd seen in those pictures, that he'd find a way back.

Soren set the book down. He couldn't speak, but Ike pulled him into his arms. He wasn't letting go anytime soon.

 

Two months later.  
Ranulf joked that Soren had so many things there, he might as well move in. Hoodies that spelled out Genius with elements from the periodic table, a toothbrush, an extra bag to tote his books.

Tonight, just as many other nights, Soren was curled up with Ike. The pirate hat dipped down as Ike poured over the book. He absently fixed it, but didn't look up. He'd lost weeks to his hospital visit, and exams were even closer. Soren's notes were keeping him afloat, but just barely. Soren was reading some boring giant book right beside him. Ike stretched, and rubbed his neck.

He wasn't quite in the point where he could play ball again, but at least he was on a lower dose of medication now. Ike leaned his knee to Soren's, and rested his palm across Soren's arm. He looked up, eyes half shuttered with sleepiness. Exam season had taken its toll on even the smartest college students.

"Is it hurting you? I'll hold it, if you need," Ike said.

"I can hold my own books, Ike," Soren said.

"But I want to hold your books," Ike said.

"Okay," Soren said softly.

"So this is how you spend your afternoons? And here I thought being in a relationship would make the place dull. Though I started the hats and studying trend," Ranulf said. He pointed to the flaps that hung down near his cheeks. His hat couldn't seem to decide if it wanted to be a headband, one of those winter hats with fluffy strips to keep the cold out. It settled at not working as either.

"Soren wanted a study session," Ike said.

"And you?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm sitting here wearing a pirate hat," Ike said.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These are scenes which were supposed to be earlier on in the story, but couldn't fit during the plot. However, I was too attached to them to let it go  
> Title: A Sorta Fairytale: Encore  
> Series: FE9/10  
> Character/Pairing: Ike/Soren, Ranulf/Kyza/Lyre, ensemble  
> Rating: PG-13   
> Word count: 2336  
> Summary: College AU. On the first party of the semester, Ike is kissed by an anti-social Science major. The rest, as you would say, is history. Ike/Soren.  
> Author's note: These are scenes which were supposed to be earlier on in the story, but couldn't fit during the plot. However, I was too attached to them to let it go, and decided one last encore to the story would be fun.
> 
>  
> 
> , and decided one last encore to the story would be fun.

Ranulf had a habit of staying in places where he didn't belong. He also had a habit of ignoring subtle cues, such as glaring, or Soren looking like he might call a hit on him.

By now, Ike had gotten used to Soren looking like a hissing cat whenever Ranulf came around, even if Ranulf was the only literal cat around.

He was sprawled out, a textbook placed decoratively on his lap. He hadn't so much as glanced at it the entire night. Ike's textbook, however, was open. Which was all Soren. His grades had floated up to B's ever since Soren became a staple in his life.

"Hey, you're going to the party tonight, right?" Ranulf said. "Skrimir is throwing it. There's bound to be tons of food. And even some for the guests, too."

"What party?" Ike said.

"The _Costume_ party. Don't tell me you missed it?" Ranulf said.

"I didn't see any notices," Ike said. He never paid much mind to gossip.

"Ike, you're killing me. Ever since you got this date thing going, you won't go to any parties at all," Ranulf said.

"It seems kind of pointless. I can drink at home if I want. Plus, I don't have to share my bucket of fried chicken. You know how Ilyana gets; look away for one minute and your bucket is empty," Ike said.

"You even missed the latest flip cup challenge," Ranulf said.

"What a tragedy," Soren said dryly. He returned with a plate of cheese, and set it down on the coffee table between them.

"Maybe Soren's style of partying would be more up your alley? I hear he holes up in the library for hours at a time and even _studies_."

"Or Skrimir's," Ike said.

"Oh man, the big guy knows how to party like no one else. Last week he filled a whole hot tub full of ribs. He and Ilyana ate their way out while Mia filmed the whole thing with commentary. The vids went viral, with #RibsRelationshipGoals trending on twitter. I'm still disappointed that no one thought to call it Relationribs."

Ranulf turned towards Soren. "Speaking of which, are you going to the costume party, Soren?"

Soren looked up and glared, the kind of it-should-be-obvious-glare. "Absolutely not."

"Really? It'd be easy for you, just get some fake vampire teeth and you're good to go."

"If I went as anything, I'd go as myself," Soren said.

"Good, scariest costume around!" Ranulf laughed loudly at his own joke.

Soren grabbed his textbooks and for one brief moment Ike thought that he was going to have to mediate. Ranulf was agile but Soren had a surprisingly deadly aim with for such heavy books. Though it'd been Skrimir who had gotten it last time, when he ate Soren's yogurt.

Instead, Soren left the room in a hurry.

"Aren't you going to go after him?"

"In a second," Ike said. "Why is it a costume party, anyways? It isn't anywhere near Halloween."

"Everyday is Halloween if you try hard enough."

"I doubt Soren would want to go. Especially if there's costumes involved," Ike said.

"You know, Soren's so high strung, and he isn't even Darth Soren anymore. One of these days he's just gonna explode."

"He just hates being bothered during his study sessions," Ike said.

"Mmmhmm, Dr. Ranulf knows those symptoms. That boy needs to get laid," Ranulf said.

Months ago, Ike would've just shrugged off Ranulf's crude jokes. But Soren had apparently rubbed off on him so much that he mentally tried to figure out if that was the correct term, or if lay, or lie would be better. He still couldn't get the hang of those, even though Soren had printed him out a sheet and everything.

In the other room, Ike heard a crash.

"Are you okay out there, Soren?"

"...I'm fine, Ike."

Ranulf lifted his eyebrows. "See? I told you."

Soren came straight in the kitchen, with something clutched in his hand.

"Think it's a knife? Ten bucks says it is," Ranulf said.

"I'm not betting on that," Ike said.

Soren, however, returned with a fresh honeycomb, stuck in a plastic bag.

"Mind it," he said.

It took Ranulf a moment to get it, but he burst into a smile. "Ike, he's got a sense of humor! He hates everything, but now he's spouting puns! _Mind your own beeswax_ , that's great."

"By the way, Skimir's ordering about 50 pizzas, and at least 20 buckets of wings. And that's just Ilyana's helping," Ranulf said.

"Another party? You just had one last week," Soren said.

"What do you expect? It's Gallia U. Gallia is full of party animals. Except for Lethe. Besides, why hate on the school? You could've gone to Begnion University, or even Melior. They'd take one look at your notes and beg you to apply," Ranulf said.

"Ike wasn't there," Soren said softly.

"Oh, I should've known," Ranulf said.

"Did I mention that at least twenty of those pizzas are going to be meat lover's? And technically, the costumes are pretty optional," Ranulf said.

Ike looked to Soren.

Soren shook his head. "How do we get into these situations?"

"Alcohol is usually involved. The rest of the time it's our friends," Ike said.

Soren let out a sigh, and rubbed his temples. "Fine. I can tolerate the party long enough to get some free food," Soren said.

Ranulf grinned toothily. "Skrimir owes me another ten gald. I told him I'd be able to get you guys with the promise of pizza."

Not even Soren could argue with that.

*

Every party Ike had been to (or more accurately, sprung up in his apartment) was the same. Hook ups, loud music Ike didn't even like, alcohol, stupid drunken behavior, blinding lights, and good food.

Ike avoided them when he could, but if Skrimir was throwing it, there would be an overflowing buffet of ribs, fried chicken, and at least fifty meat lover's pizza.

The party was already crowded with people. Some Ike knew, some from the team, and a large amount of Gallians who had been invited by Skrimir and Ranulf. A loud driving beat thrummed through the room. Soren narrowed his eyes as he surveyed the room. Glow sticks and banners across the floor. Witches and clowns and a few princesses.

Mist hadn't done much, not having much time to fix Soren up, but she had pulled out some black cat ears and drawn whiskers on his face with her eyeliner.

Mist had a red hood pulled over her outfit, and in a completely unrelated note, Boyd had chosen to go as the Wolfman this year.

"How fitting! That must be exactly how Ike sees you," Ranulf said.

Boyd chuckled, and gave one last nervous glance to the door.

"We've been through this. I don't care who she dates, as long as they treat her well," Ike said.

"Where's your tail? You know, I found this place that sells fake ones. In fact, they put the tail up their--"

"Never mind where the tail goes!"

"I thought you weren't going in costume?" Ike said.

"Your sister put this on me," Soren said.

"You look good," Ike said.

"Why's everyone all dressed up?" said the newest girl. She wore long blue flannels, and a pair of overalls, with the knees stained with dirt. Her long teal-colored hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, with a few leaves and twigs stuck in it for good measure. "And is it true there's free pizza? After doin' a lot of diggin' for the university garden, I'm awful hungry."

"It's a costume party. Didn't you see the note?" Ranulf said.

"Aw, shucks. Sorry, I just heard free pizza and came to check it out. Should've known there was a catch."

"It's cool. Just say you came as a lesbian. Hey Heather! Help make this girl's costume authentic."

Nephenee blushed bright red. "Er―that ain't somethin' you just dress up as--"

"Considering your rainbow socks, aren't you just going as yourself?" Ranulf said.

The girl shyly bent down to hide her socks. "That's...."

"Something that doesn't belong in the closet," Ranulf said dryly.

From across the room, Heather glanced away from the girls she was talking to. Heather's eyes widened at the sight of the new arrival. "Look, it's flannels. _Flannels_. It's the bat signal of lesbians."

"She's a farm girl. They just wear those," Mia said. Mia was dressed as a cute witch, and Ilyana clutched onto her. The practice foil was left behind the couch, as carrying it around was too tiring for her.

Heather wore a skin tight purple catsuit, along with a mask and a pair of little cat ears on her head.

"She could be both." Heather shaded her eyes from the flashing lights to peer over the new girl.

"She's got rainbow socks on. Definitely a cute lesbian farm girl. I'm going in."

Heather swept in and smiled big at the new girl.

"Hi, I'm Heather. Welcome to Gallia U," she said. She tossed her blond hair over her shoulder. The girl's eyes widened.

"Holy smokes, you're beautiful! I mean, uh..." the girl blushed bright red.

"Told you. Flannels never lie," Heather said. She guided the blushing farm girl towards the food table.

In the kitchen, Kyza wore a pair of noise canceling headphones. His textbook was set up in the kitchen.

Lyre lifted the headphones up. "You're such a square. This is a costume party! You're supposed to dress up."

Kyza smiled serenely. "You know what they say: dress for the job you want, not the job you have," Kyza said.

"What exactly are you supposed to be? You're wearing the same suits you always wear," Lyre said.

"A rich, intelligent, hardworking and successful man who also happens to be Ranulf's boyfriend. Also, someone who makes enough to afford a designer suit," Kyza said.

"That's still not a costume," Lyre said.

"You're right; it's a state of being. You look the same, but your shirt is lower-cut, and that color is appalling. Did you go as yourself, but with even worse fashion sense?"

"No, I went as Ranulf's girlfriend," Lyre said. She stuck her tongue out.

Skrimir scooped up Ilyana and He lifted up pieces of fried chicken for her. "There, tiny science major. We can't let you get too hungry."

The smell of the pizza was pretty compelling, but so was the idea of just ordering some Crimean Fried Chicken and a couple meat lover's pizzas and spending the night in.

They hadn't even hit the thirty minute mark, and Soren was already looking longingly at the door. He turned to Ike.

"You turn the music to something nostalgic. I'll make the light machine malfunction. You grab a pizza―make it two―and we can escape this hellish place," Soren said. He took off the cat ears and left them on the food table.

It was complex enough to remind Ike of a heist movie. Not for the first time, he was glad Soren was on their side. Otherwise, he'd be like a tiny red-eyed Bond villain, complete with a white cat on his lap.

Soren flipped off the lights, but the guests had so many glow sticks and glow-in-the-dark clothes that they just cheered. Ike put in a CD called _Red_. From the dance floor, someone screamed _"That's my jam!"_ On the dance floor, Heather pulled a blushing farm girl to dance to a Taylor Swift song.

Ike took two pizza boxes on his way out. They were still warm, and a strong spicy aroma floated tantalizingly up. The noise of the party and music was silenced by the closing of a door. All the memories of mischief from their friends--Ike's friends--faded into the night.

They walked under the streetlights, back towards the apartment. On this side street, there were no cars at this hour. All the college crowd had already found their parties, or gone home. Occasionally as they passed, the sound of other houses and other crowds would filter out. 

The large trees were almost ominous. Their large, twisted dark branches faintly lit by the streetlights. Bugs gathered around the light in clouds.

"If you think that's something, wait until you see the Baobabs," Soren said.

"The what?" Ike said.

Soren looked down, to hide his expression with the cloak of night. But Ike still saw the disappointment, and heard it in his voice. "Just an old memory. A book. You've probably forgotten it."

"Then we'll read it together and make new memories," Ike said.

Soren smiled.

As they neared the apartment, Soren let out sigh. "The pizza is convenient, but I'm never going to be much for parties, Ike," Soren said.

"Me either. It was fun though. I liked being with you," Ike said. 

"I can tolerate them for you. Though even I have my limits," Soren said.

He carried the boxes in one hand. Just so he could reach out and slip his hand in Soren's.

Without another word, they walked home together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note:  
> Elincia doesn't have a crush on Ike in this universe because she already had a thing going with Geoffrey and Lucia before she ever met him. And Skrimir met Ilyana before he met Soren, so he ended up forming an attachment to her instead. He wooed her with a stack of over 500 chicken nuggets; she was utterly impressed, especially when he took her out for fried chicken and pizza after they finished.
> 
> They get banned from all you can eat buffets on the regular. Mia is friends with them and eventually they realize they're all basically dating and go with it and get banned from more restaurants, go to the gym together and have a lot of fun snapchats. Also bar fights. Mia and Skrimir love getting in bar fights. Ilyana doesn't really go for them, but Skrimir just puts her on his shoulders so she can kick people from up high, or snack, whichever she prefers. Usually she chooses the latter.


End file.
